Dr. Erneo Balasio Peter Tombe is a distinguished agricultural engineer, irrigation and water management specialist, and senior public sector leader currently serving as Program Director of the Single Project Coordination Unit (SPCU) in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), a position he assumed in November 2025. Concurrently, he continues to hold the position of Director General for National Schemes and Projects, providing strategic oversight to some of South Sudan’s largest nationally funded and donor-supported agricultural projects.

With more than two decades of experience spanning academia, national government service, and regional technical leadership, Dr. Blasio is widely recognized for his expertise in irrigation systems, agricultural mechanization, climate risk mitigation, and large-scale project coordination. His leadership role at SPCU places him at the center of multi-donor project coordination, fiduciary oversight, and results-driven implementation across the agriculture and food security portfolio.

As Director General for National Schemes and Projects, Dr. Blasio leads one of the thirteen directorates within MAFS. The Directorate is mandated to oversee and manage all national agricultural schemes and projects funded by government, bilateral partners, and multilateral institutions. Working closely with other MAFS directorates and State Ministries of Agriculture, he ensures alignment of national schemes with food and nutrition security priorities, climate resilience strategies, and smallholder farmer support systems. The Directorate also plays a critical role in the provision of agricultural inputs, engagement of local communities and investors, mitigation of drought, floods, pests, and diseases, and enhancement of market access and value chain development.

Dr. Blasio’s academic foundation is firmly grounded in agricultural engineering and water management. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Irrigation Water Management in 2007, following a Master of Science in Irrigation Water Management from Gezira University in 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Mechanization and Engineering from the University of Khartoum (1995) and a General Agriculture Diploma from the Sudan University of Science and Technology (1992).

Following his return to South Sudan, Dr. Blasio served as Director of Agricultural Mechanization and Engineering from 2011 to 2015, where he led national efforts to improve mechanization services and irrigation infrastructure. In 2015, he transitioned into academia as an Assistant Professor and Senior Lecturer at the University of Juba, teaching Agricultural Mechanization (I & II) and Irrigation Water Management. During his academic tenure, he also led the Eastern Nile Irrigation System Performance Assessment and Options for Improvement under the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) through the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) in Ethiopia, contributing to regional water management and irrigation efficiency reforms.

In 2023, Dr. Blasio returned to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security as Director General for National Schemes and Projects, where he has since played a key role in coordinating national agricultural investments, strengthening inter-directorate collaboration, and aligning donor-funded projects with government priorities. His subsequent appointment as Program Director of the SPCU further consolidates his leadership role in ensuring effective coordination, accountability, and performance across South Sudan’s agriculture and food security projects.

Dr. Erneo Blasio continues to provide strategic and technical leadership in advancing sustainable irrigation, mechanization, climate-resilient agriculture, and effective project coordination, contributing to the Ministry’s mandate to achieve national food and nutrition security and promote agricultural-led economic growth.